ONTARIO, Calif., Dec. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Garden City Hospital in Garden City, MI., and St. Mary’s General Hospital in Passaic, NJ were both struggling financially and facing the possibility of closure in early 2014 when they were acquired by Prime Healthcare. Today, these two hospitals share parallel stories of survival and resilience as they celebrate five years since joining one of the largest hospital networks in the country.
Both hospitals have thrived under Prime’s leadership, preserving their legacies as important community assets and providing award-winning, innovative health care to all those in need. The two are among 45 struggling hospitals across the country that have been restored to financial health after being acquired by Prime, earning the hospital system a national reputation for its managerial expertise and focus on clinical excellence and patient experience.
Community members in Michigan and New Jersey credit Prime for ensuring the long-term survival of their important health institutions.
“Garden City Hospital was struggling to meet the basic needs of our community in early 2014, but by the end of that year Prime Healthcare was already delivering on its promise to revitalize our hospital,” said Saju George, CEO of Garden City Hospital. “Today, our hospital has improved in every way – adding new equipment, expanding our facilities and infrastructure, and streamlining processes to produce better patient outcomes.”
George noted that the transformation has earned Garden City the prestigious Everest Award from IBM Watson Health, presented to only 15 hospitals in 2019 that earned the IBM Watson Health™ 100 Top Hospitals® designation for improvements over a five-year period.
Prime Healthcare invested more than $41 million in upgrades at Garden City Hospital since 2014, and likewise invested more than $49 million to transform St. Mary’s General Hospital.
“When we bring a hospital into the Prime Healthcare network, we make a commitment to the hospital as well as to the community that relies upon it as vital resource,” said Prem Reddy, MD, FACC, FCCP, Chairman, President and CEO of Prime Healthcare. “Each hospital is unique and requires special attention to strengthen, build and improve its programs and facilities. We are pleased to celebrate two successful examples of Prime Healthcare’s mission at work."
Edward J. Condit, CEO of St. Mary’s General Hospital, recalled the struggles the hospital faced prior to Prime’s acquisition.
“St. Mary’s General Hospital is firmly rooted in our Catholic heritage and our healing ministry, so it was a very difficult chapter in our history when outdated equipment limited our capabilities,” said Condit. “In the years since, Prime Healthcare has completely turned around our facility and given us the tools that we need to deliver exceptional care in a welcoming environment, and we’re better prepared to handle complex medical conditions than ever before.”
Most recently, St. Mary’s implemented a program to better serve the local growing Orthodox Jewish community that involved educating staff about the community’s beliefs, activities, and restrictions. Changes to the facility and processes are also planned to better accommodate Orthodox Jewish patients – such as a Shabbos elevator, Shabbos path and local kosher food.
Government leaders also had strong praise for Prime’s leadership at St. Mary’s. “Like many urban hospitals, St. Mary’s was facing a difficult and untenable situation before Dr. Reddy and Prime Healthcare provided the financial resources and clinical expertise to help preserve this vital healthcare institution for the Passaic City community,” said Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic and Passaic City Council President. “Since then I have been impressed by Prime’s commitment and the efforts of the hospital’s leadership and staff. After millions of dollars of investments in new equipment and facilities, and recognitions of clinical excellence from nationally renowned hospital rating agencies including Healthgrades and the Leapfrog Group, we are fortunate to still have a hometown hospital to serve the needs of all residents of Passaic and surrounding communities for generations to come.”
Garden City Hospital
In the five years under Prime’s ownership, Garden City Hospital has shown improvements in patient safety, efficiency and patient outcomes, all while reducing costs. This year, the hospital celebrated the opening of a second new cardiac catheterization lab with added capabilities, two brand-new inpatient units with private rooms, an updated family birthing center, process improvements in the ER and new digital technology in radiology.
Garden City Hospital also introduced a new primary care Continuity Clinic with board-certified internal medicine physicians and residents working together to provide a continuing care option for those without a primary care doctor, as well as a student art gallery for therapeutic healing. The hospital held two open house events in September to mark its five-year anniversary under Prime ownership, and more than 900 people, including Garden City Hospital staff, physicians, members of the business community and local dignitaries attended.
St. Mary’s General Hospital
Since joining Prime, St. Mary’s General Hospital has improved in nearly every measurable area, including quality care and cost-effectiveness. New programs spanning the arc of life from maternal-child health to senior care provide specialized services for all members of the community. A new electronic medical record system has improved efficiency, and renovations to the ICU, medical units, and an endoscopy suite have benefited patient care. Equally exciting is a new Breast Health Center and cardiothoracic team.
These changes have led to significant local and national awards and recognitions, including Healthgrades and Leapfrog awards, along with accreditations as a state-designated Heart Center, Certified Stroke Center, and a Certified Chest Pain Center. New ventures for the first quarter of 2020 include a revitalized Orthopedic Department, a new Lineac machine to continue expansion of the Cancer Center, and an inpatient Behavioral Health Unit to meet the needs of an underserved patient population. Prime has also enabled St. Mary’s General Hospital to provide charity care at levels higher than ever before.
Garden City Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital are proud to be part of Prime Healthcare’s legacy of saving hospitals, saving jobs, and saving lives.
About Prime Healthcare: Prime Healthcare is an award-winning national hospital system with 45 acute-care hospitals and more than 100 outpatient locations providing nearly 40,000 jobs in 14 states. Fifteen of the hospitals are not-for-profit and members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity. Based in California and one of the largest hospital systems in the country, Prime Healthcare is committed to ensuring access to quality healthcare. Prime Healthcare and its hospitals have been recognized as among the “100 Top Hospitals” in the nation 47 times and among the “15 Top Health Systems” three times. For more information, please visit www.primehealthcare.com.